Packing Guide

As with most projects in life, moving is best done with a clear and manageable plan. This plan should include the big tasks that must be completed as well as the smaller jobs that are a part of those big tasks. One of the toughest hills to climb in a move is packing everything you own in an organized and efficient manner. But this job can be made easier with a useful packing guide to make sure all jobs, big and small, are completed.

As you create your packing guide you will need to first examine your timeline. If you have a lot of time to move, you will have the luxury of staggering the tasks over days, weeks, or even months. If you are in a hurry to move, you may need to hire help or ask friends and family to pitch in so you can get the job done in time. It is especially important to be prepared and organized when you have assistance from others to see that you get the most work done while they are around to help.

Preparing to Pack

The first item to do on your packing guide is to make sure that you have the proper packing materials. Good packing materials include: sturdy boxes, packing tape, newspaper to wrap fragile items and markers to label the boxes. Make sure that you have enough packing materials for everyone who will be helping you. You can often find boxes at local grocery and liquor stores. Take the time to reinforce the boxes with tape at the seams to make sure that they are strong enough to hold the weight of your personal belongings.

Next, you’ll need to determine the order in which you want your household goods to be packed. If you have a lengthy timeline, you may want to pack everything but those items that are needed on a daily basis. Consider which items may already be packed, like baby clothes not currently in use, extra furniture, sporting goods or out-of-season clothing. These items can be first to go, as many will go directly from your current storage to the storage spot in your new home.

Get Packing!

Now for the main part of the job: carefully pack each room in your house. To see that your move goes smoothly, consider the following tips: make sure that boxes are packed with weight in mind; not only should the contents be appropriate for the box, they should also be safe and manageable for people to move. Label all boxes with information about which room in the house the contents belong and list the contents of the box. If the items will be left in storage for some time, consider labeling the side of the box so if you do need to locate an item you will not need to move each box to learn what is in the box below it.

Assign someone to pack all of your decorative items and make sure they understand the proper way to wrap and pack them to see that they all arrive safely at your new home. Picture frames, vases and art that will fit in a box should all be carefully packed and labeled. Larger items, like full length mirrors or wall art should be wrapped in a protective covering and clearly labeled “FRAGILE” so all movers will take extra care with the object.

By taking the time to plan and create a packing guide, you will have a clearer picture of the process you will use to get the job done. As you move down your list of tasks, you will feel a sense of accomplishment as you cross job after job off of your list and move ever closer to transferring everything out of your old home and into your new one.